Sparks flickered in Rikusei's eyes, drifting slowly toward the brilliant night sky. The wind-blown flames stretched their hazy glow across both their faces.
With Konoha's abundant produce, Rikusei and Naori had joined hands to put together a long-awaited outdoor meal.
The leaping flames did nothing to stop their gazes from meeting. If anything, they only fanned the audacious glint in Rikusei's eyes.
He shifted to sit beside Naori and launched into a vivid account of Mount Myoboku's dark cuisine.
The all-insect feast still haunted him, but a glance from the corner of his eye showed that Naori was quite interested, so he hurriedly steered clear of that dangerous topic.
His gaze swept past the horizon to the boundless starry sky. He was just about to tell her what he had seen on the moon when the soft voice beside him interrupted.
"The moonlight is beautiful tonight, but the Lunar Soil in the scroll has already stirred my longing for the stars." Naori's eyes gleamed as she gazed at the silvery moonlight resting on his clothes. "So this time, I want you to listen to me, Rikusei."
Insects chirred beneath the night sky, their calls echoing in Rikusei's heart. Beneath the firelit sheen of her bright purple hair, her clear eyes were intent, and he readily went along with her request.
From Naori's account, he learned what the younger generation of ninja from the other Hidden Villages had been up to in Konoha.
The clashes between the villages' new students at the Ninja Academy made him feel as if the first Chunin Ninja Exams had begun early in Konoha.
The two most exciting battles had been Hagoromo Mao against Chiyo, and Sarutobi Hiruzen against Ōnoki.
Mao's superb swordsmanship had severed the Chakra Threads at Chiyo's fingertips, sending her sinister Puppet crashing